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When we imagine someone being rescued from a hazardous or life-threatening scenario, we often picture either heroic first responders or selfless good Samaritans rushing to the scene, or a victim employing specialized skills or using a well-placed weapon to escape the danger.
But what if a person or animal finds themselves trapped in a life-threatening situation where human intervention isn't enough and might even make things worse? What if there are no weapons or tools at hand, or the source of danger is lurking unseen? Surprisingly, sometimes the key to survival is something as ordinary as a hairpin, a snack bag, or even a diaper. In fact, these were just some of the unexpected items that became a lifeline for the individuals on this list.
Here are ten extraordinary objects that have been credited with saving the lives of people (and animals) from danger and death.
10. Hairpin
At approximately 10:30 p.m. on June 30, 2024, 24-year-old Vanessa Chaput was jogging along a paved trail connecting Haines Junction and Pine Lake Campground in Yukon, Canada, accompanied by her German shepherd, Luna. But as Chaput rounded a bend, she encountered a dangerous situation, finding herself unexpectedly face-to-face with three grizzly bears.
Having grown up in bear territory, Chaput had learned to respect these formidable creatures. She attempted to retreat, cautiously backing away while pulling Luna’s short leash behind her. However, Luna wasn’t about to retreat and instead went on the offensive, breaking free from Chaput. While Luna managed to chase away the two smaller bears, Chaput was left vulnerable, alone with a male bear who charged at her.
Chaput recalled that the bear knocked her to the ground, but as it bit her head, she believes something caused the bear to be stunned, prompting it to release her. What turned out to be Chaput’s unexpected salvation? A small plastic hair clip from Walmart that she had in her hair at the time. During the attack, the bear bit into the clip, which then ‘exploded’ in its mouth.
Once Chaput was freed, she scrambled behind a tree, but the bear charged again. This time, Luna’s distant barking distracted the bear, causing it to retreat for good. Bloodied and hurt, Chaput staggered toward the Alaska Highway, where she was reunited with Luna, who had remained unharmed. Chaput then used her Apple Watch to contact her husband, Dave Leegstra, and 911.
Chaput spent 10 days in the hospital, suffering from puncture wounds, nerve damage, and a broken arm. She required over 30 stitches in her head, back, arm, and ear. While she was immensely grateful for Luna’s bravery, Chaput believes that without the plastic hair clip she was wearing, she might not have survived the attack.
Yukon Conservation Officer Services reported that the nearby campground was evacuated, and that during that weekend, conservation officers put down three bears that matched the description of those involved in Chaput’s attack.
9. Lip Enhancements
At the start of 2023, 36-year-old Edita Jucaite, a dental nurse from Banbury, Oxfordshire, was delighted to notice she was shedding pounds ahead of her beach vacation. Despite not altering her exercise regimen, Jucaite lost around 22 pounds (10 kg) in just two to three months, without any conscious effort. She attributed the weight loss to her hectic work schedule and social life, but she was unaware that the change in her figure was masking a serious health condition. Thankfully, her decision to undergo a cosmetic procedure would uncover the truth about her health and ultimately save her life.
In April 2023, Jucaite opted for lip fillers and Botox injections in her eyebrows and forehead. Having had similar procedures previously with no complications, she was shocked when things went wrong this time. Shortly after the injections, her lip swelled, and by the following day, a large bruise appeared both outside and inside her mouth. The doctor who performed the procedure recommended she seek medical help.
The swelling subsided after a few days, but after researching her symptoms online, Jucaite learned that leukemia could be a potential cause. Although she didn’t initially consider it a possibility, she chose to visit her primary care doctor for further testing. A blood test at the doctor’s office led to a swift referral to the hospital. At Churchill Hospital in Oxford, Jucaite was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a slowly progressing cancer of the bone marrow in which immature cells, known as “blasts,” overwhelm the healthy marrow.
Jucaite underwent treatment with oral chemotherapy tablets until her blood count stabilized. She is now in remission but will need to continue taking Imatinib, a cancer growth inhibitor, for the rest of her life to keep the cancer from returning.
8. 'Baby Shark' Plush Toy
If you’re a parent of young children, you’re likely familiar with the viral hit 'Baby Shark' song that swept the globe in 2016. While the catchy tune is adored by kids but often despised by adults, a stuffed toy based on the song became the focal point of a strange news story in 2019. In a remarkable twist, a toddler owes her life to a 'Baby Shark' plush.
At approximately 8:42 p.m. on November 24, 2019, police were dispatched to a home in Madison, Wisconsin, after reports of gunfire rang out, striking parked cars and multiple houses, causing residents to take cover. Investigators found about 45 shell casings around the block, believed to have been fired by two rival groups shooting at each other.
One bullet, however, struck a house on the 900 block of Vernon Avenue. Inside, a three-year-old girl was sleeping in her crib when a bullet tore through the wall of her bedroom and hit her plush 'Baby Shark' toy, which absorbed the bullet, narrowly missing the child. Another bullet hole was found just a foot away from where the toddler had been resting. Miraculously, the little girl was unharmed, and no one else was injured in the incident.
7. Potato Chip Package
Just before 10:25 p.m. on July 7, 2021, NYPD Officer Ronald Kennedy was one of the first to respond to a reported stabbing in Harlem, New York. Upon arrival, Kennedy immediately approached the 29-year-old victim, who was sitting on a parkway tree border fence, bleeding heavily from the chest. Kennedy urgently shouted for someone to “Go get a bag of potato chips right now.” No, he wasn’t joking or hoping for a snack—Kennedy was relying on a technique he had learned as an EMT.
Bystander Ricardo Gonzalez quickly ran into a nearby store and returned with the bag of chips. Kennedy emptied the contents, and with the help of two others nearby, he laid the victim flat and used shipping tape to seal the flattened chip bag over the chest wound.
When a knife wound punctures the chest, air enters both the lungs through the normal airway system and outside the lung on the affected side, which causes the lung to collapse. The increased pressure outside the lung also compresses the blood vessels connected to the heart. Without a seal over the wound, breathing becomes insufficient, and the oxygenated blood supply to the body is reduced, leading to shock and potentially death. Fortunately, Kennedy’s use of the potato chip bag effectively stemmed the bleeding, keeping the victim alive until paramedics arrived, who then replaced the makeshift seal.
The unidentified victim was rushed to Harlem Hospital and is recovering, all thanks to Officer Kennedy’s quick thinking and, ultimately, a potato chip bag. About an hour later, Officer David Galindez apprehended the stabbing suspect and recovered the knife used in the attack.
6. Linkin Park Song Lyrics
Cristina Settanni, a healthcare worker from Orlando, Florida, rarely drives on State Road 408. However, in February 2019, she found herself running late for work, and while on the expressway, she noticed a man standing at the edge of a bridge, seemingly on the verge of jumping. Initially, she drove past the man, as did hundreds of other cars, but after a second glance in her rearview mirror, Settanni decided to pull over. She got out of her car and approached him.
Settanni sat beside him on the ledge and shared her fear that he might jump. Despite the delicate situation, she didn’t offer advice or try to talk him down in the traditional sense. Instead, she recited a lyric from Linkin Park’s song 'One More Light': 'Who cares if one more light goes out? Well, I do.' Settanni later mentioned that she didn’t know if the song resonated with him, but it made him cry.
For those unfamiliar with Linkin Park, their song 'One More Light' was written in tribute to a close friend of the band who passed away from cancer. It was also their final single before their lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, tragically took his own life in 2017.
Soon after, Deputy Shaun Cayer of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrived, responding to multiple 911 calls from witnesses who had seen the man on the ledge. Although the man initially refused to step back, Settanni continued talking to him until Cayer was able to pull him to safety. It was later revealed that family issues and poor decisions had led the man to feel that suicide was his only option. He was not arrested but was taken to a mental health facility under the Baker Act.
5. Diaper
A heated argument between 33-year-old Catherine Copeland and her husband, 27-year-old Sandro Michel, began at a RaceTrac gas station in Pembroke Park, Florida. As the quarrel escalated, it grew so intense that bystanders became concerned and called 911.
The couple then left the gas station with their three-year-old daughter Sariyah in the car. Witnesses reported that Copeland was driving, but Michel grabbed the wheel, physically assaulted Copeland, and even placed his foot on the accelerator. This caused Copeland to lose control of the vehicle, which crashed into an embankment and plunged into Lake Helen, a body of water 40 feet (12 meters) deep.
When deputies arrived around 12:30 a.m. on October 25, 2011, Copeland was seen on top of the car, screaming for help and trying to alert officers that her daughter was still trapped inside. Deputy Cazi Navarro managed to bring Copeland to safety, but then something unusual happened—Navarro described, 'All of a sudden, this little thing popped up like a cork.' It was Sariyah! Although she appeared lifeless in the water, her diaper had buoyed her, keeping her afloat and ultimately saving her life.
Sariyah was rushed to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. She was listed in critical but stable condition, with a prognosis for a full recovery. Copeland was treated at the hospital and released shortly thereafter.
It wasn’t until around 4 a.m. that a dive team was able to retrieve Michel’s body from the water. Michel, who was on probation due to a domestic battery charge and under a court order to avoid contact with Copeland, had tragically drowned in the submerged car.
4. A Stranger’s Comment
In July 2021, Sarah Love and her husband Micah decided to visit the SeaWorld theme park near their home in Lake Alfred, Florida, during the Fourth of July weekend. This trip marked their first family outing with all six of the Loves’ children, including their 6-week-old son, Lincoln. What was meant to be a day of family enjoyment soon turned into a life-saving event for Lincoln, thanks to a stranger's observation at the park.
At one point during their visit, Love noticed a man who appeared to be staring at Lincoln. Initially, she didn’t pay much attention, but after encountering him again, the man stopped her. He introduced himself as a firefighter from a nearby county and commented that Lincoln seemed to need medical attention because 'he was really jaundiced.' While Love had noticed similar symptoms, the pediatrician hadn’t shown much concern. The firefighter’s comment gave Love the reassurance she needed, prompting her to contact the pediatrician again. The office then advised her to take Lincoln to a nearby hospital for blood tests.
After arriving at the hospital, Lincoln was given IV fluids and examined by doctors. He was later transferred to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida, for further testing, two surgeries, and several misdiagnoses. Eventually, on July 30, 2024, Lincoln was diagnosed with Alagille Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can impact multiple organ systems including the liver, heart, kidneys, eyes, and skeleton.
Although baby Lincoln was eventually able to return home and showed significant improvement, he will need ongoing care from a nutritionist for the rest of his life to address vitamin deficiencies. Additionally, he will require a variety of medications. Love expressed her immense gratitude, saying she could never fully articulate how thankful she was to God and for the stranger’s timely intervention.
3. Positive COVID Test
Tena Hughes, from Phoenix, Arizona, was known for her active lifestyle, regularly hiking and working out with friends and family. So when the mother of four planned a spontaneous trip to Uganda to see gorillas in January 2021, it came as no surprise. Unfortunately, on the day of her departure, Hughes tested positive for COVID-19 and had to cancel her plans. While this was devastating, Hughes later considered the positive test to be 'a godsend' that ultimately saved her life.
For some time, Hughes had been battling persistent headaches, but two weeks after her COVID-19 diagnosis, the pain grew unbearable, prompting her to visit the emergency room. An MRI scan revealed several cancerous tumors throughout her body, including in her brain, lungs, and spleen. She was diagnosed with stage-four melanoma. The doctor, aware of her intended trip to Uganda, told her, 'Had you gotten to altitude with a tumor this size in your brain, you would have died.'
Since her diagnosis, 54-year-old Hughes has undergone nine surgeries, but she proudly shared that all the tumors had disappeared after starting a new FDA-approved cancer treatment at the Honor Health Institute. Hughes will forever be grateful for that fateful COVID test.
2. Jeans
Arne Murke and his brother, Helge, both German tourists, were given the task of delivering the yacht Wahoo from Auckland, New Zealand, to Brazil. On March 6, 2019, while making their way down the New Zealand coast, disaster struck. The mainsheet of their 40-foot (12-meter) yacht came loose during the rough swells, causing the boom to swing violently and knock Arne overboard.
Arne, dressed only in a t-shirt and jeans, became tangled in a rope and was dragged alongside the boat for a few seconds before managing to free himself. Helge threw a life jacket and a rope toward him, but they landed too far away, and Arne was swept away by the waves. Alone and without any lifesaving equipment, he remembered a technique he'd seen demonstrated by U.S. Navy SEALs. Determined, he decided to use his jeans as a flotation device.
Arne quickly removed his jeans, tied knots at the ankles, and swung them through the water to capture air. He then submerged the jeans, trapping the air inside, creating a makeshift life vest. Exhausted and on the brink of despair, Arne was finally spotted by a Hawke’s Bay Rescue helicopter after about three and a half hours adrift at sea.
1. Pumpkin Muffin
On June 17, 2023, the Glendale Police Department received a call from a concerned passerby reporting a German shepherd trapped in a canal in Glendale, Arizona, swimming in distress. Upon arrival, officers discovered the anxious dog, who seemed unable to escape the situation due to the steep, sloping walls of the canal.
Officer Sorenson, one of the responding officers, immediately removed his ballistic vest and gun belt, preparing to swim toward the dog in hopes of using a leash to pull it to safety. However, the exhausted dog was too wary and wouldn’t approach him. Despite several attempts by the officers to call the dog closer to the edge of the canal to secure a leash, the distance was too great, and the dog wouldn’t remain in range long enough to be reached. After several unsuccessful attempts, Officer Downey recalled that his wife had packed him freshly baked pumpkin muffins for his patrol shift, which he thought could be the perfect bribe.
Officer Downey retrieved a muffin from his patrol car and handed it to Officer Sorenson. With the muffin in hand, Officer Sorenson managed to coax the dog closer, allowing him to grab the dog’s collar and finally pull it from the water to safety. Once back on dry land, the dog was treated to a few more pumpkin muffins for its efforts. Fortunately, the dog was unharmed and was soon reunited with its owner, who lived just a short distance away.
